(Elektra)
Vince is back! 1992 Motley Crue fans thought they'd witnessed the band's demise when the Crue fired lead vocalist Vince Neil. The band subsequently picked up John Corabi, made a self-titled album, and watched record and tour sales plumment. Meanwhile, Vince Neil's band produced a couple of mediocre albums. Now Generation Swine announces what bassist Nikki Sixx said couldn't happen - Vince Neil rejoins Motley Crue.
It's been five years since the split, and the album was written without Neil. How good can it be? Very, very good. Generation Swine has that aggressive, groove-laden Crue sound. It rocks like Dr. Feelgood but goes into territories the doctor didn't dream of. Chief songwriter Nikki Sixx didn't spend the last five years in a cave. He's been influenced by new musical styles and personal experiences. Lyrically, the album goes beyond what the Crue has written before. Musically, it's a solid Crue base with a growth beyond what may have been expected from this band. Generation Swine is all over the place from hard rock to ballads, from Neil doing lead vocals to Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee doing the honors.
The first single from Generation Swine is "Afraid". This track is a hard rocker with great guitar from Sixx and bassist Mick Mars. It lets the fans know Motley Crue is back. Hearing just this one cut from the album might get the rock fans thinking that the Crue has taken on the role of rock savior. It might happen as an incidental, but the band isn't interested in playing the old time rock and roll all the time. Generation Swine has some lovely ballads in "Glitter" (which they worked on with Bryan Adams), "Rocketship" (written for Sixx's wife), and "Brandon" (written for Lee's son). "Brandon" features a string quartet with Lee on vocals, and "Rocketship" has Sixx on acoustic guitar and lead vocals. "Anybody Out There" is a ballistic punk rocker that should give the band and fans a real workout in concert. There's a techno feel to some of the songs like "Let Us Prey" (co-written with John Corabi). So, lots of different personalities, lots of different sounds. This isn't the 80's Crue anymore. They're keeping their base - fans and music - but moving on to where new listeners can get on board.
Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee do a lot with the Internet. Their official web site, http://www.motley.com or http://www.generationswine.com, is run by a fan. The band keeps the site current with photos and information on Crue and related plans.
A summer tour is planned, but details are not final at this point. The band promises that wherever they go they will play some old and some new Crue. Motley Crue has gotten its second wind - see them, hear them and prepare to get blown away.
